Melania met with experts and people who have been impacted by drug addiction, including opioids, on Thursday The mother-of-one stated that she wanted to 'listen and learn' from their stories, and she sat alongside White House counselor Kellyanne Conway

...Melania stated at the meeting that she wanted to 'listen and learn' from their stories, and she sat alongside White House counselor Kellyanne Conway who reportedly did most of the talking.

Melania Trump invited experts and people affected by addiction to opioids to the White House for a listening session and discussion about the epidemic.

..."I'm here to listen and learn from all of your stories," she said. And listen she did, leaving White House counselor Kellyanne Conway to do most of the talking.

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She made clear she is starting her own project, this isn't part of the task force that Christie and Jared are on.

Though the "listening session" in the White House State Room was attended by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Mrs. Trump made clear that her efforts were alongside the presidential commission on opioid abuse that Christie chairs, not a part of it.

Why should this spouse of the man with a desk in the oval office be holding talks on any topic other than fashion or how to progress from visa holder to a U.S. citizen? It's not the taxpayers' responsibility to teach her about topics in which she's expressed curiosity. If she wants to learn about opioid addiction, she could have stayed home and watched Panic in Needle Park which aired on TCM last night. (A great but depressing film about drug addicts who hang out in New York's "Needle Park", at 72nd and Broadway. It was Al Pacino's first starring role, and the screenplay was written by Joan Didion (my favorite writer)and her husband Gregory Dunne and brother in law Dominick Dunne.)

According to an August 1971 Variety news item, because of the timeliness of the subject, two churches presented screenings of the film in conjunction with seminars and discussions for students and teacher. The news item also stated that a Boston circuit operator disregarded the film's R rating, which was awarded based on language used in the film, and allowed anyone over ten years of age into the theater without an adult.

Melania Trump (or Jared Kushner) having a role in the nation's opioid policy is like the blind leading the blind. (No offense intended to sightless persons.)

they could start by raising the price on some prescription drugs. I went to my doctor the other day for a refill on my Vicodin prescription and 34 pills, the now maximum available in Florida, cost $3.45.

Of course I have Medicare part D, but still that's very inexpensive. I take half a pill three times a week prior to going to the gym. I have to or I can't get through my session due to old ski racing injuries. So many do sell those pills for $25.00 each. And also they have eliminated the auto refill situation, so I have to go to the doctor each time, thereby costing Medicare an extra $80 each time. I truly hate the damn pills, but they are a necessity in my case.

We need some leadership in this country that is aware of what's going on. The latest situation with the director of HHS and his raping of the public domain is a perfect example of poor leadership IMO.

That sucks. Sounds like you need an appointment to get your Rx? Thankfully, I can get mine by just calling the office and picking them up. Even that is a pain (no pun intended) when one is bedridden and can barely make it to the kitchen, much less getting to the car and driving to Dr's office.

But please, don't raise the price, the cost of my anti - rejection drugs is enough of a burden for me since I have no income right now.

I don't really want to advocate raising the prices on medications. It's just the difference between the cost of those pills, and the amount they can be sold for is huge. The doctor did say he knows who should have them and who shouldn't.

When they stopped the pill mill phenomena down here a few years ago, users were scrambling to get pain pills and the black market price rose. Then those people went to heroin which was often cut with the horrible Fentanyl. It's a scourge they can't stop.

Sorry to hear you're still ill and hope you get through it soon. It appears different states have different requirements on obtaining medications. We all love to hear your excellent comments.

Simple high calorie recipes. High calorie, yes; simple, not so much.
I would suggest pasta. Brown some butter, grate some full-fat cheese, serve the butter and cheese on pasta.
Avocados are good for you and are high fat (but the "good" kind of fat), so eat avocados. Mash them, add some chopped up tomatoes, garlic, lime juice, onions. Chow down on it with chips. Or take your chips, cover them with full-fat cheddar cheese, melt cheese in microwave, then glop those nachos with the guacamole and some (full fat) sour cream.
Eat nuts and nut butters.
Full fat Greek yogurt. Add some honey and/or fruit.
Make smoothies of your choice, but use coconut milk to replace some or all of regular milk. Coconut milk has way more calories than regular milk.
Milkshakes.

That's all I can come up with off the top of my head.
Oh, and there's always a nice steak, with a baked potato with butter, sour cream, and real bacon bits.

for the suggestions! Can't stay on my feet long enough to really do any cooking but am trying to add on stuff to add calories. Doesn't help that I don't have much of an appetite.

GI doc yesterday - he's going to do a whole bunch of tests. Getting pretty sick and tired of this crap but not exactly looking forward to more poking and prodding either. Just hope he can find something and its easily corrected. So, fingers crossed.

Do I remember correctly that you had a kidney transplant? Asking because I'm wondering if you have to watch your protein intake or if your overall function is such that you're okay on that front (my husband has Type 2 diabetes, but also has had some loss of kidney function, and it's been hard to balance the diet for diabetes with the diet for renal failure - he's not supposed to eat too much protein).

Oh, and how's your overall appetite? Is needing to put on some pounds complicated by any lack of appetite?

Okay, so, have you tried this? It's high in protein, and may work well as a supplement to your regular diet.

I'd second all of Zorba's suggestions, and add some ideas from when my picky-eater kids were little:

Peanut butter and butter sandwiches
Half and half or cream on cereal instead of milk.
"milkshakes" made with ice cream and cream
Avocado toast

Family favorite: steak sliced thin and piled on rolls dipped in butter. yum.

Also - found this on Sloan-Kettering's website, intended to help people undergoing cancer treatment who need to put on or maintain their weight:

Don't eat foods that are fat-free or reduced in fat. Avoid food and drink labels that say "low-fat," "non-fat," or "diet." For example, use whole milk instead of skim.

Top your ice cream or unfrosted cakes with sweetened condensed milk. Combine the condensed milk with peanut butter to add more calories and flavor.

Add croutons to your salads or omelets.

Include bread stuffing as a side dish with your meals.

Drink homemade shakes. Try the shake recipes in the "Recipes" section. You can also drink high-calorie, high-protein drinks, such as Carnation® Breakfast Essentials or Ensure. See the next section for a list of nutritional supplements you can buy.

There are a bunch of recipes further down that page that may give you some ideas, too.